Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt on Tuesday once again affirmed his support for the controversial Keystone Pipeline project that will carry oil across his state and south to the Gulf of Mexico.

Schmidt, a Republican, joined 20 other state attorneys general in signing a petition sent to Secretary of State John Kerry.

“This pipeline will provide stable North American energy resources and economic benefits to our state and our nation,” Schmidt said. “The project will employ thousands of Americans and help reduce reliance on unstable sources of foreign energy.”

The Keystone pipeline proposal calls for crude oil pumped in Canada to be transported to facilities in the southern United States for petroleum refining. The State Department is reviewing a permit application and will make a recommendation to the president. Schmidt’s office said the permit application has been under federal review since 2008.